The present invention relates to a disposable, sterile or non sterile cover for enclosing a non-sterile article and a method for enclosing the non-sterile article. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to a cover for an X-ray cassette. The cover is disposable to prevent the spread of germs, aiding in infection control, cassette protection and more convenient handling of patients by healthcare professionals.
In conventional radiography (also known as “X-ray photography” or “X-ray procedure), a plate is made by forming one or more emulsion layers on a flexible film base which is supported within a light-tight, non-sterile cassette. The interior of the cassette is coated with one or more X-ray sensitive luminescent layers. In use, the non-sterile cassette must be isolated from the sterile site or field of operation.
During use, the health care professional loads the cassette containing an unexposed X-ray plate into an X-ray machine or positions the cassette in patient contact whichever is appropriate for an ordered exam. After exposure, the health care professional removes the exposed cassette and X-ray plate for development and subsequent fixing of the latent image produced.
It will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that X-ray cassettes are one of the few medical devices which are reused. In particular, X-ray cassettes are reused from one patient after another in X-ray departments all around the world. The cassettes are reused since the cassettes are expensive, limiting cassette access to X-ray departments due to budget restrictions. It will further be appreciated by those skilled in the art that X-ray cassettes can be very impersonal and very uncomfortable to the patient. For example, X-ray cassettes used in portable radiography and tabletop radiography are cold and hard. Often times, patients must be placed on the X-ray cassette, thereby making the patient less comfortable and less cooperative.
X-ray cassettes, during their repeated use, may directly contact the patient's skin or patient's fluids leading to unsanitary conditions as germs of one patient pass onto another patient and/or the health care personnel handling the X-ray cassette. Germs such as Staph can unknowingly pass from patient to patient, therefore leading to a large contribution to the loss of life. Hospital acquired infection is a leading cause of death in the United States. According to the Center for Disease Control, 2 million hospital-acquired infections occur each year.
In some instances where X-rays are required to be taken during trauma cases, the cassette is often contaminated with the blood of a patient and these contaminants may be potential health hazards to the health care professional who must handle the X-ray cassette for development. Further, dangers from bacteria exist to personnel handling the X-ray cassette. Accordingly, protecting cassettes from contamination is highly desirable for safety reasons. Cleaning cassettes, however, results in disadvantages such as: inconvenience and time committed by the personnel; cleaning agents may contain carcinogens; chemical hazards of repeated use; and, long term exposure effects to personal, patients and equipment. Cassettes are also very expensive; and once blood and other fluids seep into the cassettes, the cassettes have to be repaired or replaced.
Health care professionals can use cassette covers to enclose the cassette during an X-ray procedure. Current cassette covers, however, are made of plastic. These plastic covers, however, adhere to the patient's skin via the patient's sweat, blood or other fluids leading to uncomfortable conditions for the patient and to unwieldy handling by the health care professional. Existing plastic covers do not cushion the patient or absorb the patient's fluids. Health care professionals require cassette covers that aid in patient protection, patient comfort, increased ease of procedure and environmental concerns.